Steal a kiss in the moment
by SillyLittleFeather
Summary: Evelyn Grace Jordan is just a normal 15 year old girl until her "parents" inform her that: 1. they aren't her real parents. 2. She has never been a part of the family; they only did it because they were forced to. 3. She is basically the scum of the
1. Living a lie

For the past fourteen years I've lived a lie.

I never knew about my real parents, my real family, nor my real powers. Well, I wouldn't call them powers…but I never knew what I was really capable of. It explains everything though, down to the tiniest detail. When I was twelve, odd things started happening. Little things, but still odd. A vase shattered when I was upset, a piece of cake floated over to me when I wanted it really badly, and so on. I got used to them, and my "parents" ignored it. They honestly should win an award for how much they hid from me. I can't blame them though. I wouldn't have told me either, especially when I found out the truth. You know how it is, when someone tells you something so unbelievable that you think it's a joke. How you laugh and keep waiting for them to tell you it was all for a laugh. Too bad this time that didn't happen. There was no laughter buried in their eyes, no smile tugging on the corner of their lips. How naïve they must've thought I was! Always a happy child, just shrugging things off as I went. I guess in the back of my head things never felt right. Their smiles were too forced, the love for me…too much. I never really fit into this happy family of four. My flaming hair never matched the dull brown of their own. The startling blue-grey that almost glinted silver stood out against my fair skin, while their own brown stared out from their tans. I was an outcast, and it took until yesterday for me to finally notice. My "parents" are glad that its over now; that I'm finally leaving. Was I that much of a burden? The little sister I had grown up with, she gave me hateful looks now. Like I was the gum on her huge shoes. Another difference, I was tiny compared to them, actually…I'm just tiny. The entire family had native American in them and it showed. All three were over 5'6, even Ashley who was only 14. They all wore over a size 8 in shoes, and all were of stockier build. With no knowledge of my ethnic background, all I can say is there must be Irish in me. I stand at a proud 5' even, and have a curvy, but still thin build. I've been called "fairy girl," "pixie," and similar names. Never really in a friendly manner though.

Yes, that's right. I said I never fit in with my family, but that's not all. Society never accepted me. I tried to be friends with the other little girls and boys, but once their parents saw me, they took them away. I shut out everyone eventually. Art became my escape, and I put my soul into everything related to it. I sang, danced, painted, sculpted, basically you name it…I've done it. It all makes sense why I made such good friends with the animals I had too. When I was involved with my art, apparently the happiness radiated off of me in waves. I'm not some emotional wreck of a girl, who has suicidal thoughts and is hateful towards everyone. Quite the opposite actually. I love people, I love being around them, and I love to talk. Sure, people tend to make fun of the fact I pierced my septum and went from calling me pixie girl to bull. I don't care though, why should it matter to them? They didn't talk to me before hand, its not like the little ring is stopping them. It's flipped up a good bit anyway, like it will have to stay until I get settled at the school.

The school…The curiosity is killing me. I've never heard of it, not surprising, but I wont be an outcast anymore. People will know what I am, and its okay because they're the same! I'll find real friends for once, people I can talk to and relate to. The one single letter that finally made it into my hands was a life saver. I flipped out when I found out that they had destroyed every letter I had gotten since I was 14. I turn 16 in a few months. How could they do that? They knew I felt different, and was treated like crap. I guess they never really cared. Oh well, like I said, I get to leave this place soon. My real parents left me a good sum of money, so I will have no problem getting what I need. I cant remember what the older gentleman said…its either Thursday or Friday I leave, only three or four more days. I wonder what it's going to be like, living in England.

I guess I should mention a few key things now, huh. My name is Evelyn Grace Jordan, I'm currently 15 years old, I just found out yesterday that I'm an orphan, and a witch. How's that for a Monday?


	2. Unknown familiarity

Evie stood all alone in the middle of a quite alley and watched everyone bustle around just 30 feet from her. Just 30 feet away wizard's and witches alike all moved like a giant wave of talking and shopping. Women stopped with other women to hear the latest gossip and read the newest witches weekly while men stopped to compare ideas and talk about work. She could pick out students here and there who were all on similar missions for books, robes, pets and other necessities for school. It all looked so exciting, but her nerves were on end. Dumbledore had tried to find someone to help her out, but she quickly refused and said she would be fine. How wrong she had been. Everything was so different in England! The shops back home had been a lot different, but not nearly as crowded. Heaving a sigh, she straightened up and made her way into the throng of people. Pulling out her list, she quickly made a bee line for the book store. Walking in, she breathed in the heavy smell of old books and smiled; she felt at home around books. Slowing making her way through the store she grabbed book after book, both school related and not. Looking down at her list again, she searched for the final book amongst the tall shelves. As luck would have it, it was placed snugly on the topmost shelf, right in the middle. Not wanting to attract attention to herself, Evie tried everything she could to reach it. Jumping, standing on her toes, jumping again, she began debating climbing up the shelves to get it. Right as she made the decision to do so, a long arm reached around her and plucked the book off the shelf, then held it out for her to take.

"Here you are miss, I noticed you couldn't reach it." Blushing profusely, she reached out and took it slowly. "Thank you. I'm Evie, and you are?" Standing before her was your typical good looking boy. About 5'6, dark hair, tannish skin, he was defiantly a looker. "I'm Blaise Zambini. It's my pleasure to meet you miss Evie." Winking at her, he waved goodbye and made his way to what she assumed were his parents and walked out the door behind them. Shaking her head and walking towards the register, an elderly man greeted her. Ringing up her books and making small talk, Evie decided she liked this store and the kind man in it. He didn't judge her or anything, just talked to her. Smiling brightly as she left the young girl continued her long day of shopping. After getting all of her robes, books, a firebolt, her wand, and a gorgeous black owl, Evie made her way into a little coffee shop and plopped down in a plush chair. Settling in for a nice little break, the barista took her order. Taking out "A History of Magic" she began to read all about her new life. Being so absorbed by her book, she failed to notice her cup of tea set down, nor the group walking into the shop. Everything in the book made sense to her, and just put her troubled mind at ease.

_I'm not crazy, everything is actually real. _

A body plopped down in front of her, startling the petite girl. A sweet laugh filled the air, and Evie finally noticed the blonde seated before her.

"Hello, I'm Luna Lovegood. I saw your earrings and thought I would ask you about them. What are they exactly? I quite like them, but you see my radishes are my favorite. I don't know if I could change to something like that. Change is always a good thing I suppose, especially the unexpected kind. Like at school, the kids always take my things. But they hid them in different places every time. It's not always as you expect, huh?" Luna finished with a dreamy smile, and waited patiently for Evie to respond.

Shocked at how kind she was, her reply was all but a whisper at first. "Hi Luna, My name is Evelyn, but, you can call me Evie. Evelyn sounds too formal, and my mother uses it constantly. My earrings are little bells and birds actually. I like bells, they're my favorite sound to hear, so it seemed logical to make some into earrings. I agree with the last thing you said…its not always as you expect. I'm sorry if this seems a little odd, but I've never really had a friend before, so I'm still terribly shy. Its taking some getting used to as well, being in England. Would you like to join me for some tea though? Or pumpkin juice, I absolutely love it!" Beaming back at Luna, she was proud of how well she had composed herself. Maybe making friends wasn't so hard. Maybe, just maybe, this would be a better life after all. Everything did seem to make much more sense here, and just seemed to click within her.

The day passed with the two girls chatting about anything and everything, but a lot about what Evie needed to learn. Luna was sweet and understanding and genuinely wanted to be friends. Thus, a beautiful thing happened in Evie's mind. She made a real friend, one with who she didn't feel weird or out of place with. She laughed at Luna's odd way of doing things, like reading her magazines upside down, or talking as if in a dream. Her stomach almost hurt from laughing so much and her smile seemed stuck on her face. Once night had fallen, Luna invited her to dinner with a few more kids from school. The nervousness was back, but not as strongly as before. The walk towards the warmly lit resturaunt was short and fun, with both girls skipping around and acting silly. Opening the door, the girls were greeted by a rush of heat, the smells of fresh food, and the loud voices of a lot of people. Conversations stopped quickly as they noticed Luna wasn't alone.

Evie stood awkwardly beside her dreamy friend, and looked around the crowd. A familiarity radiated from a boy towards the middle, but she ignored it. Smiling slightly, she waved.

"Hi everyone…I'm Evelyn, but call me Evie. Please. Um…yeah." Laughing a bit because of nerves, she noticed a bushy haired girl, Hermione, smile.

After a moment, a loud chorus of "hi's" resonated from the group, and a feeling of welcome washed through her. Soon both girls were seated, Luna beside a boy named Harry and Evie in between two boys, Fred and George, who she couldn't tell apart for the life of her. The dinner ensued with lots of talking and general greetings before attention was turned back to her. Sighing at what would probably be the first of many, many introductions she began.

"My name is Evelyn Grace Jordan, I'm from the States, and I found out just this week that I'm a witch. I actually have no idea who my family is, only that Dumbledore had taken me away from danger and put me with this muggle family. Wow…muggle feels so weird to say. Anyway, I'm turning 16 in a few months, December 17th to be exact, and I've never really had friends to talk to. So, here I am. Any questions?"

An hour passed of simple questions like favorite color, what she had learned so far, what it was like in the States, and so on. Around midnight Mrs. Weasley ushered everyone to bed, and gave Evie an affectionate hug as she walked upstairs. Walking into her room, she noticed Hermione and Ginny were on the other two beds. The trio talked long into the night, and after Hermione promised to help her out magically, the girls fell into an exhausted sleep.


	3. Pumpkin Juice

Waking up the next morning wasn't pleasant for Evie. Hermione tried in vain for ten minutes to wake the red head until she finally gave up. Upon watching Hermione walk away in failure, Ginny decided to give it a shot. Smirking slightly, she began poking the older girl in the forehead over, and over, and over again. Evie groaned and tried to roll over, but was only met by the hard floor. Seeing this, Ginny busted out laughing.

"You," laugh "should've seen," more laughter "your face!" The rest of her sentence was overpowered with laughter which Evie joined in with. After a few minutes two red heads poked into the doorway curiously.

"Hey you two, what's going on? Did you find the…"  
"Oh my!"  
"What have we here?"  
"Why are you...?"  
"On the floor?"  
"Evie Peeve?"

Evie stopped her laughter and looked curiously at the twins. Ginny stopped laughing too, and turned with her hands on her hips to glare at them.

"Fred! George! Don't do that so early in the morning! You're going to confuse her!" Turning back towards Evie who was still on the floor, she moved to help her up.

"Both of you get out! Evie's got to get changed and ready for the day! You both need to as well. Mum's going to yell if you aren't ready in time. Don't forget what happened at thanksgiving last year."

After the mention of the past holiday both cringed and exchanged a knowing look. "Yeah Yeah. We'll go get ready Mum. Sorry Evie if we confused you." With that said they turned together and walked away. Letting out a sigh, Ginny turned again to Evie.

"You need to get ready to Evie. Mum is waiting downstairs so we can eat and get to the platform in time! You don't want to miss the train. Harry and Ron did in second year, and well…it wasn't pretty. Mum sent Ron a howler and let him have it. I'm going to go ahead and head down though. Just leave your trunk up here after you've finished packing. Someone will bring it down for you."

Evie just smiled and watched Ginny leave. Granted, she had no idea what a howler was, nor why catching the train was so important. Couldn't the parents just drive them there if they missed it? Or at least buy a plane ticket for them? Evie had only ever been on a plane once in her life, but she loved it. The feel of taking off, and just being free in the sky, if only for a little bit. Rolling her shoulders as if to shrug the thoughts off, she walked towards her trunk and pulled out her clothes. England was hard to get used to when you grew up in a little town in Texas, going from one extreme to another. Changing quickly, she ran a brush through her straight hair and pulled it into a sloppy, albeit cute, ponytail. Making sure her ring was securely on her finger, she started throwing her belongings into the open trunk. Slamming the lid shut, she brushed her hands on her jeans, grabbed her coat, gloves, and scarf and walked downstairs.

Fred and George popped up beside her as soon as she got to the bottom step, which caused her to jump. Consumed by laughter the twins threw their arms around their new little friend and led her to the table. Mrs. Weasley bustled around the table making sure everyone was eating a good breakfast. She smiled warmly at Evie and her boys then scolded them all for being late. Everyone at the table chuckled and resumed eating. Sitting down, Evie couldn't help but feel like she knew the boy across from her. He looked up and noticed her staring oddly at him and started blushing.

"I'm sorry, I can't seem to remember your name from last night…" Evie sheepishly smiled and pushed her bangs out of her face. The boy looked slightly startled, but smiled quickly.

"I'm Neville Longbottom. Last night was pretty hectic, so don't worry about it Evelyn."  
"Oh please Neville, cal l me Evie…Evelyn sounds too uptight for me. I like the frog by the way, he's cute."

With a smile he affectionately patted the frogs head. "He's actually a toad, but thank you. His name is Trevor…I lost him a lot first year. That's actually how I met Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Hermione was nice enough to help me find him, and we asked the guys if they had seen him. It was an awkward way to meet, but I'm still glad it happened."

Evie smiled back and nervously chewed on her lip. Everyone was almost finished eating, and she shoveled in the remainder of her breakfast, chasing it with a glass of strange tasting juice.

"Hey Hermione…what is this stuff?"

The bushy haired girl looked over at her new friend and smiled.

"It's pumpkin juice! You'll probably drink it a lot at school, so I hope you like it."

Not feeling too up for conversation so early in the morning, she just nodded in reply. Mrs. Weasley stood up and started ushering people to hurry up and get out the door of the inn.

"Hurry Hurry Hurry everyone! It is time to leave! We need to make sure you all get to the train in time!"

Everyone started making their way out the door and into the slightly crowded street. Hermione ran up and grabbed Evie's hand with a smile and started pulling her towards the train station. Glancing behind them, she noticed Fred and George pulling their trunks and owls along with their own stuff. Giggling, she started running and skipping with her friends.

Friends. She finally had friends! It was almost a surreal feeling, but not one she would want to give up. Hermione seemed to notice her inner glee, and joined in the skipping session. When Hermione stopped in front of a large pillar Evie was beyond confused. Everyone slowly caught up, and Mrs. Weasley checked a watch she pulled out of thin air.

"Okay children! Everyone, hop to it. We need to get onto the platform quickly now, so you all can get on the train and be on your way."

Looking up for the platform number only confused the poor girl more. How can there be a ¾ platform? Really now…was this some kind of joke? Glancing over at Hermione's calm expression, she noticed something odd. Looking at everyone else she noticed they all looked super sketchy. Like they were about to do something they didn't want everyone else to see.

"Hermione…"

As soon as that word passed her lips, Hermione ran straight for the wall. Cringing, Evie braced for the impact…but it never came. The smell of smoke drifted into her nose and the sound of a large crowd greeted her ears. Opening her eyes, a gasp escaped her. A large black train stood before her, and people mingled and boarded the train. Some wore their robes with different crests on them, and some wandered in their everyday clothes still. Hermione smiled widely, as did the entire group, at Evie's amazed expression.

"Welcome to Platform 9 ¾ Evie. This is the beginning of a great year…just you wait."


	4. Draco Malfoy

The shuffling of bodies was slightly unsettling, but Evie took it all in stride. She loved people, and things had been going so well for her…she had an optimistic view of Hogwarts. Hermione tugging on her arm brought her back to reality, and they started making their way towards the black train. When she stopped to wait on the rest of the group, Evie didn't notice and kept walking with her eyes darting to and fro. A few steps later she found herself looking up at the top of the train, the steam pouring from the chimney stack, the way the sunshine glistened on the glossy black paint, the blonde hair that…wait a second. Blonde hair…trains obviously don't have hair. Someone had moved into her line of sight and it only clicked in her head after she ran right into his back. What a back it was too! Through the black sweater she could literally feel the toned muscles move and twist as the boy turned around.

"What the hell…lo there, who are you?" He smirk ever so slightly when he noticed her dazed expression.  
"Can't speak? I understand, you've probably never met a guy as good looking as I am before have you? I'll spare you the anticipation. I'm…"

"An arrogant asshole. I would say I'm sorry I ran into you, but you aren't worth my respect. I may be new but I know a jerk when I see him, and darling, you're the perfect example of one. Too bad, you would be kind of cute if you wiped that ugly smirk off your face." With a flick of her ponytail, Evie turned on her heel and walked back to the laughing Gryffindors.

"What's so funny? All I did was tell off some stupid guy." Hermione was the first to speak.  
"Evie…that wasn't just some stupid guy. That was Draco Malfoy. He's the 'Slytherin God' of Hogwarts. His father works for the ministry, and is rumored to be a death eater. He hates all Gryffindors and anyone who is friends with them. Basically, he is the bane of most of our school lives. So that's why we're super happy that you told him off! Not many new people can leave him standing with his mouth wide open like you just did."

Turning to glance at the blonde boy behind her, she noted his mouth was indeed hanging open still. His eyes blinked slowly, and then turned to slits when he realized Evie had caught him staring. She stuck her tongue out at him childishly and turned back to her still laughing friends. Ron ran up and high fived her, while Harry picked her up in a tight hug. After their little mock celebration everyone made their way onto the train and started looking for a compartment to claim. Evie ran into the first empty one she saw and threw herself face first into the cushioned bench. A war cry echoed in the hallway and Ron proceeded to jump on top of her, making the other two by standers laugh again.

"Ronald! Get off of her right now," she started with a laugh. "She can't breathe!" He unhappily rose to his feet and fake glared at the brunette. "Hermie, you're no fun. Evie could breathe just fine, couldn't you?" She smiled a cute smile and nodded her head. "See there. Everything is fine. Now let's sit down and get some sweets from the trolley."

Evie sat up, looked up at Hermione and patted the seat next to her. Hermione glanced at Ron out of the corner of her eye then looked back at Evie. She smiled knowingly and remember back to the conversation the night before in the inn. Acting quickly, her hand shot out and grabbed Harry's as he was in the process of sitting down and jerked him into the seat next to her.

"What the…" She shoved her elbow into his ribs and nonchalantly nodded towards Ron and Hermione. He seemed to catch on as Hermione sat down and blushed slightly. Harry looked back towards Evie and smiled then moved to get more comfortable. Ten minutes passed and the trolley finally showed up at the door. Everyone purchased their sweets, and Ron decided to challenge Evie to a candy eating contest.

"What does the winner get?" He thought for a moment and snapped his fingers.  
"Winner gets piggybacked up to the castle. But the loser has to do something too." Without missing a beat Evie smirked and let out a snort.  
"Loser has to go up to Draco Malfoy and kiss him full on the lips." Ron gagged, but shook her outstretched hand. She smiled again and waited for their judges to tell them to start. An intense stare off ensued, but was broken by Harry yelling "Go!"

The next five minutes were passed with the sounds of chomping teeth, crinkling wrappers, and groans and grunts of two overly stuffed kids. Shoveling in another chocolate frog Evie looked down to her pile, she had only four left! How many did Ron have…oh no! Ron was smirking at her as he slowly chewed his last frog. Evie swallowed and stared in disbelief at the opposing red head. Harry and Hermione cheered for Ron and he patted his belly in triumph. Evie groaned and sank back into the seat, hiding her face in her hands. Hermione just rubbed her shoulders and waited for Ron to stop gloating.

"Come on Evie Peevie! It's time to pucker up and go find Malfoy! I'm sure we can find some bleach for you when you get back. Wait a second…how will we know you actually did it? I mean, Ferret Boy probably won't even open the door when he sees us."  
"Oh I know!" Hermione turned around and started looking through her bag and rummaged around for a few minutes. Finally she pulled out the much sought after object. Taking the top off the tube, she showed Evie the ridiculously bright red lipstick. Pulling out her wand, she muttered a spell and pointed it at the tip of the lipstick. Handing it to Evie she grinned.

"I charmed it to stay on, no matter how much it's rubbed. So, if you kiss Malfoy…we'll know for sure when he comes into the Great Hall tonight."

"Well, alright then. I guess I'll go now…I can change too."

Standing, she grabbed her robes and began walking towards the back of the train. Sighing, she started looking for the familiar blonde locks. Towards the back of the train, she finally spotted it. Steeling her nerves, she knocked on the door. Malfoy's unhappy face greeted her when he slammed open the door.

"What do you want Jordan?" His glare almost made her deck him right in his nose, but she refrained. Heaving another sigh, she glanced at him through her lashes. He was staring at her like she was stupid, which honestly, she felt like she was right now. Standing straight, she decided couldn't go back now. Reaching out she grabbed the front of his black sweater and pulled him down to her level, slamming her lips onto his. He stood still for a moment, eyes wide open looking at her, then closed his eyes and kissed back roughly. Grabbing her, he pulled her closer and wove his fingers in her hair. Evie forgot who she was kissing for a moment, and started to melt into the kiss. Reality slapped her hard and she jerked back away from him. She wiped her lips furiously, noticing the lipstick came off on her hands. Gazing at him quickly, she watched him look at her now red hands and start rubbing his lips. Surprisingly it didn't come off…Hermione was amazing! Turning on her heel she started to walk away, but changed her mind last minute. Looking over her shoulder she saw him looking at her again expectantly.

"I've kissed better, sorry Malfoy."

He looked flabbergasted and couldn't believe that she just kissed him, then just insulted him as well! How dare she!


	5. Glittering Candles

Evie ran into the changing room and slammed the door shut behind her. She had just had her first kiss, and not only was it her first…but it was to Draco bloody Malfoy! Oh dear, being in London was rubbing off on her already, using words like "bloody," and whatnot. Back on topic, Evelyn Grace Jordan had just kissed Draco what-ever-the-hell-his-middle-name-is Malfoy, and secretly (though she wouldn't admit this to herself, let alone anyone else) she enjoyed it. His lips were soft and slightly full, and he obviously wasn't complaining with the fact she had just kissed him either. The look on his face as he tried to rub away the lipstick was hilarious, but his gaping expression after she told him his kissing sucked…that's what made the whole bet worth it. Granted, it would have been funnier to see Ron kiss Malfoy; oh well. There was still an entire year to get back at her fellow ginger.

As her thoughts started to dwell on Malfoy, an uncomfortable feeling started to rise in her chest. Shaking her head to clear them away, Evie looked down at the uniform in her hands. Why couldn't uniforms back home be as cute? Back home…no, this was her home now. Once again shaking annoying thoughts away, she proceeded to change her clothes and check her appearance in the mirror. It was surreal, the fact that this was her new life. Everything was different, that's for sure, but the simple act of putting on her new clothes made everything sink in. Sinking to the floor, Evie was overcome with silent sobs. Why did this happen? What happened to her real parents? Why had she never been told anything be her old "family?" How long had they known what happened? Why had Dumbledore refused to tell her back in Texas? Most of all, why did it all hit her after she had kissed Malfoy? The tears continued in their silent cascade down her cheeks and Evie tried to figure out the answers to all of the questions rampaging in her head. Even after ten minutes the tears continued to fall no matter how hard she tried to stop them. Thinking of how stupid she would look if anyone walked in, she started laughing. The tears started to stop as her laughter continued, and soon that too died down.

Standing up and smoothing down her skirt, she once again checked her appearance and wiped away the remnants of her mascara. Folding her other clothes and tucking them into the crook of her arm, she began making her way back towards the trio's compartment. Stopping just before the door, Evie took a few deep breaths and prepared herself for the onslaught of questions that were bound to be thrown at her as soon as she walked inside. Just as her hand was reaching for the door it flew open and she was met by three very excited faces. Opening her mouth she was cut off by Hermione dragging her inside of the room and shutting the door. Once again she started to open her mouth, but it was in vain.

"What happened?"  
"Did it work?"  
"Did the lipstick stay on?"  
"How mad was he?"  
"Did anyone else see it happen?"  
"Did you get a picture or forget?"

"Tell us what happened!!" The three yelled simultaneously, causing the trio to look at the others oddly. Turning back towards the small girl they let her out her clothes away and get settled. Ron was bouncing in his seat with excitement, Hermione was nervously twiddling her fingers, and Harry was watching her with definite interest. Evie began telling what happened, of course leaving out her confusing feelings, and how Malfoy kissed her back, as well as how she let the kiss go on without realizing it. Hermione was overjoyed at the fact the charm worked while Ron was laughing at Malfoy's reaction to Evie's snub. Harry moved from his seat in between Hermione and Ron to sit next to Evie, pulled out a deck of cards, and smiled. The pair proceeded to play numerous muggle games like blackjack and poker until the train started to slow and come to a halt.

Evie looked around startled when the train stopped, she had been concentrating really hard on the game…Harry was kicking her butt hard.

"Come on Evie, we're finally here."

Extending his hand as he spoke, Harry helped her up and got her stuff down for her. She smiled up at him and realized how close they had become in such a small passing of time. Throwing on her coat she followed the trio and looked around curiously as they excited the train. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all in deep conversation about something that happened over the summer when Luna popped up beside of Evie.

"Hello Evie, how are you tonight?" Her dreamy sigh made Evie smile. Luna was by far her favorite.

"I'm really good Luna. How about you? Did you enjoy the train ride?" Luna just smiled and nodded airily at her.

The two walked together chatting idly about all of the interesting things Luna's father wrote about. The trio had noticed Evie's absence a few minutes after Luna had shown up, but decided to let the girls talk. Evie noticed they were walking towards black carriages that didn't seem to be rigged to any horses.

"Hey Luna, where are they horses? I mean, they don't move on their own do they?"

"Oh no, thestrals pull them." Evie looked confused at that sentence, so Luna piped up again in her dreamy voice.

"Thestrals are horse looking animals, quite lovely really. People tend to avoid them though, since they're a bit different. "

"Luna…how can you see them when I can't? Is it something to do with level of magic or something…?"

"Oh no, you can't see the thestrals because you haven't even seen someone die before." With that comment hanging in the air, she joined the trio in one of the many carriages waiting for students to fill them. Her thoughts lingered on her last statement as she crawled in with her other friends, and continued for the entire ride to the castle. Her focus on reality finally came back as Ron nudged her shoulder to tell her to get out of the carriage. As she got out, a gasp escaped her parted lips.

Hogwarts was beautiful. No, that was an understatement. The castle towered over everything in the area, but had a welcoming aura to it. No wonder her friends had nothing but good things to say about the actual school. The sheer size of it made Evie want to explore its depths and find new secrets that it held. A shoulder roughly shoved into her and almost made her lose her balance. Turning quickly to see who hit her, a broad chest met her eyes. Looking upwards, blonde hair and icy eyes made her gulp and take a step backward.

"Watch where you're going mudblood whore."

Rage rose in Evie's chest, and she stomped right up to him and slapped him across the face. Students stopped at the noise, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked slightly worried.

"I have no idea what a mudblood is, but I am not, and will never be a whore Malfoy. You better watch what you say about me…you might not like what happens to you."

"Is that a threat Jordan?"

"I wouldn't call it a threat Malfoy, just some advice. I may be small and cute, but I live up to what they say about redheads. We have fiery tempers, so don't cross me."

Shoving past him she made her way into the castle, still slightly mesmerized by the beauty of it, completely missing the applause for her show, and the rather loud person who asked Malfoy why his lips were so red. An aging woman in dark robes rushed up to Evie as she rounded the corner, and stopped her with a smile.

"I'm assuming you're Miss Jordan?"

"Yes ma'am and you are?"

"Oh I'm sorry. I'm professor McGonagall, and I need you to come with me. The sorting is beginning soon, and even though you'll be a fifth year, you still need to be sorted. The first years will go before you, and I'll get you before you're called. Is that alright dear?"

The entire time she was talking, Professor McGonagall was leading her through a rather long hallway and to a set of large double doors. Nodding to her question, the elderly woman opened the doors and allowed Evie to make her way into the Great Hall. She proceeded to keep talking as Evie was stopped in her tracks. Hogwarts would always seem to take her breath Evie decided, but this was unbelievable! The ceiling was enchanted to look like the sky outside, and millions of glittering candles floated like stars above the tables. Professor McGonagall noticed her lack of companion and turned to find Evie staring at everything in awe. A small smile overtook her face as she walked back towards the small girl.

"I know it's beautiful Miss Jordan, but we really must be going. You'll get used to it all, I assure you. Now please, follow me and do try to keep up."

Evie tore her gaze away from the ceiling and began following the professor again. Looking around she noticed students already seated and glancing at her curiously. Dumbledore rose as she approach and sent her a knowing smile. The sorting was just about to begin, and Evie's stomach started doing flips. Hermione had told her all about the houses; with some help from Ron of course (his disgust at Slytherin was apparent.) Evie didn't know where she would be placed, but she hoped for the best.


	6. Wait, what?

Waiting with all of the first years took forever it seemed. Evie barely stood apart from the younger students, and kept glancing over at the Gryffindor table with the hope of seeing her friends. Hermione caught her gaze first and mouthed "Good Luck" with a smile, followed by Ron giving a thumbs up and Harry smiling widely at her. Dumbledore stood gracefully and made his way towards the podium, waving his hand for silence. Everyone looked up and waited for him to begin his annual speech minus a few smirking students, the platinum slytherin included. Glancing over at Evie's small form, Dumbledore smiled knowingly as his eyes twinkled in amusement behind his half moon spectacles. Evie smiled back and waited anxiously for him to talk…honestly she was getting hungry!

"Hello students, once again we are all back together for this wonderful feast to welcome new students to our school. I would like to introduce you all to Professor Deloris Umbridge; she will be your new Defense against the dark arts teacher this year…"

"Thank you Professor Dumbledore. As you now know, I am Deloris Umbridge. The ministry has sent me here to keep an eye on things, and I intend to do just that. I will be seeing you all at some point this year, and I do so look forward to that. Let the sorting begin." The obnoxious woman in pink stated with finality as she brushed past Dumbledore and walked back to her seat. Evie looked over towards Fred and George and made a gagging motion once she caught the eyes of the twins. They laughed loudly causing the entire hall to look over and shake their heads. Dumbledore cleared his throat and walked back up to his podium and once again motioned for silence.

"Thank you Deloris, it is time for the sorting to begin. Now, let's have Amelia Abernach come forth so she can be sorted." A lanky girl about four feet away from Evie hesitantly walked forward and sat on the stool. The hat seemed to come alive and talked for a few minutes, the lifted its head and proclaimed: "Hufflepuff!" This continued for a while and Evie watched, one by one, the children around her walk up to the stool, then to their new tables. Finally she was the only one left so she began to walk towards the stool. Dumbledore motioned for her to stop and made his way, once again, towards the candle covered podium.

"Now students, we have a special guest this year…she is a new student from the United States and will be beginning her fifth year with us. I would appreciate it if everyone here would help this young lady get adjusted to this new environment, along with the culture here. I can say from experience that the States are a good bit different that England. So Miss Evelyn Jordan, would you please come up here and be sorted now?" His twinkling eyes sought her slightly worried ones, but he reassured her with a grandfatherly smile. Walking towards the stool once more, she sat down and waited for the ragged hat to be placed on her head.

"My my my…I've been wondering when I would finally sort you."

Evie jumped in her seat and started looking around trying to find the voice. It took on a moment to realize the hat was talking to her. Looking up at the hat, she didn't realize that she was looking cross-eyed until she heard a few snickers and giggles.

"It's been a long time since anyone of your kind has sat under my brim. Now, let's see…Oh my. You're a brave young lady, quite the prankster; that's perfect for Gryffindor. But you're also a bookworm, and like to prove you aren't an imbecile; traits favored in Ravenclaw. You are slightly shy, but not enough for Hufflepuff. You are cunning, and know how to do what needs to be done. Green looks good on you too my dear."

Giggling at the joke that hat made, nothing prepared her for his next statement.

"Your mother and father wouldn't understand this decision, but you're meant to go into this house; not for what you think either…You're pure miss Jordan. Remember that always. Your friends will understand this, with time. Just deal with things as they come, and know you have a purpose in life that isn't dark."

"What are you talking about…dark, friends not liking me. I don't like this sorting hat…not one bit. What are you going to do? Wait. You mentioned my parents? Did they go here? Wait a second…green. You're not going to put me in-"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Are you?" She quietly finished her sentence.

Gasps echoed around the room, and Evie's face fell. Fred and George looked at her sadly, with hints of pity on their faces. Harry looked disappointed but slightly hopeful, Hermione looked hurt, and Ron looked confused with a piece of bread hanging out of his mouth. Then he noticed it was actually Evie sitting on the stool, and frowned at the girl he thought of as a sister. The slytherins all started cheering loudly as she slowly rose from the stool and looked back towards Dumbledore. He just nodded with the same twinkle in his eye while his face wrinkled in a smile. Looking to his left she laid eyes on a teacher with greasy looking hair and a slight scowl on his face, but not directed at herself. Following his gaze she saw it was meant for her trio of friends and just shook her head.

Holding her head up a little higher than a moment before, she walked towards the Slytherin table and sat down. Looking up at the boy on her right, she smiled widely and tapped his shoulder. He looked back and noticed a cute redhead sitting in the previously empty seat and prepared to flirt when he noticed something.

"Hey! You're the girl from the bookstore aren't you? Um…um…Evie!"

Smiling at the fact he remembered, she nodded enthusiastically. "You're Blaise Zambini right?" He nodded and threw his arm around her shoulder and leaned in close to her ear.

"Did you know you're really pretty?"

Slamming her elbow into his side, she smirked when he winced and pulled back to cradle his now bruised ribs.

"You know, I've been told that. I just don't see it, you might want to watch it if you want to continue to see it." Turning to her food, she poked the plate while she pondered what her job could be in slytherin. Really, if she had traits meant for Gryffindor, why oh why was she now with….oh no. She had momentarily forgotten about Malfoy. Glancing almost fearfully she locked eyes with the annoying boy. He had been staring at her! Turning her head, she missed the smirk and his glare the Gryffindor table, only because she too was looking towards Hermione. When the brunette finally looked at Evie, she mouthed "Sorry" and made a heart shape with her hands. Hermione laughed a little and returned the gesture when Harry and Ron looked over too. They all smiled reassuringly and Evie's heart swelled…her friends didn't care she was in Slytherin! Her appetite finally returned and she turned around to dig into her food. Finishing off the last of her supper, she noticed a rather unfortunate looking girl glaring at her unabashed.

"Can I help you?" The dark haired girl turned to a mammoth of a friend and flipped her split ends towards Evie.

"Ugh, what a slut. I can't believe my Drakey would ever touch mudblood scum like her. I mean, why would he…he has me."

"Look girl, I don't know who the hell you are, or what planet you're living on...but I will say this once more. I am no whore, but if you're so haughty, yet so ugly…you must be. Too bad you're behemoth of a friend here never told you that pug-faced little girls never go far in life. Not much farther than having their cankles behind their heads anyway."

Howls of laughter erupted from the Slytherin table as the girl ran from the Great Hall with her friend in tow, and a friendly hand slapped onto Evie's back, jostling her a bit. Looking up to brown hair she was shocked to see Blaise's smiling face beaming down at her.

"Way to go Evie! Made Pansy cry on your first day here, that's a new record I think. You know, about the comment before, I'm sorry. I tend to be an asshole when I meet cute girls, and hate to say it again," he cringed a little and grinned, "but you are cute. Luckily you aren't annoying or bratty from what I've seen. I think we're going to be good friends this year." Leaning down towards her ear he began to whisper. "I know about the Draco kiss thing too, good joke…Draco needs it every once in a while. At least you have one friend in this house from day one. I know you didn't want to be here, it was written all over your face. It's not bad though, promise. You'll see though, things will go smoothly now, especially since you said that to Pansy. She hangs all over Draco like he's the Dark Lord and she's his personal slut."

Evie busted out laughing at this and only stopped to think about what he just said after she laughed for a full five minutes. "Hey Blaise…" He looked down at her small frame once again, leaving his food untouched. "Yeah?"

Lowering her voice, she looked around before pulling him towards her. "Who is this Dark Lord that everyone keeps talking about?"

Shock etched itself upon his face, and he looked for any hint of a joke written on her face. "Oh Evie, we have a lot to talk about…"


	7. I can't believe you!

Dinner went smoothly for the remaining hour with Evie chatting happily with Blaise and looking around the Great Hall. Draco stood abruptly though, breaking the comfortable atmosphere, and demanded that the first years follow him to the common room. Not wanting to be alone with the still red-lipped boy, Evie continued her discussion with Blaise about quidditch. The sport fascinated that small girl, and Blaise obviously didn't mind telling her all about it…in great detail.

Draco stood smugly watching the first year girls swoon over him, and the boys look up at him with mixed expressions of fear and awe. Scanning the crowd before him he noted the lack of red hair standing amidst the younger kids. Looking back towards the table his eyes landed on Evie's back which faced him. He was confused…girls normally don't throw themselves on him then completely ignore him. How dare she ignore him now, just after he had ordered the first years to follow him? No one disobeyed Draco Malfoy, no one. Glaring hard at the back of her head he stomped his way over and coughed loudly as she giggled at something Blaise had presumably said. He watched her head turn towards him with a look of boredom now plastered on her delicate features. "Can I help you Malfoy?" Shock once again etched itself onto his face as his mouth contorted back into a smirk. "All first years are supposed to be following me to the common room now Jordan."

Evie almost laughed at the look of victory on his face. Too bad he was about to be crushed…again. "Well Malfoy, too bad I'm not a first year…or am I mistaken when I was told that I was starting my fifth year here? So, since I'm not obligated to follow you I plan on getting back to my conversation with my new friend." Smiling broadly towards Blaise as she turned, Evie missed the odd look that crossed the blonde's face. "Jordan, you will come with me now. You might be a fifth year, but this is still your first year at this school." Reaching down he roughly grabbed her arm causing the small girl to cry out and trip over the bench she was sitting on causing her trio of friends to stand and make their way towards the Slytherin table.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Malfoy?"

"Yeah! Let her go right now!"

"Evie are you okay?"

The three voices all chimed in at once which caused the taller boy to let go of her arm and reach for his wand a glare once more etched into his profile. He pulled it out and pointed it in Harry's face just inches from his nose.

"How dare you put your nose into Slytherin business Potter! I should put you in your place, just like your parents were."

A slap resonated throughout the Great Hall causing most students to stop and gasp aloud. Evie's hand was now clutched into a fist at her side as anger filled her eyes. Draco's jaw hung open as his check sported the small red handprint of the opposing girl. Shaking her head she decided Malfoy wasn't even worth the trouble of yelling at and instead turned to the trio gawking behind her. Smiling lightly at them she walked past them and out of the hallway, ignoring the stares and calls of her name. Confusion filled her thoughts as Evie walked slowly around the castle. Why did Malfoy bug her so much? Everyone knew the story of Harry's family, but Malfoy just had to mention it. Harry was lucky in the fact he actually knew what happened to his parents though, Evie was still an orphan with no idea behind her past. Shaking the unpleasant thoughts from her head, which was seemingly becoming her most frequent habit, she continued her walk aimlessly. Finally taking notice of her surroundings a small gasp escaped her parted lips. Climbing the last three steps she took in the vast starry sky and the hundreds of fireflies floating through the slightly warm air. Taking a few steps forwards a smile slowly formed on her face as she twirled around happily. This would be her new escape, because everyone needs their own place to run away to. Sitting down Evie watched the bugs fly around her and pulled out her wand to make little patterns in the sky. Closing her eyes she began to lie back only to come in contact with a hard wall. Bolting upright she turned and came face to face with a pair of pant clad legs. Moving her gaze up her eyes landed on a face that she instantly recognized.

"What are you doing here?"

Gaining no reply but her companion sitting down beside her and leaning back on his hands, she shrugged and proceeded to copy his pose. A surprisingly comfortable silence settled on the pair for about ten minutes before he spoke up.

"I, uh…well, you wouldn't know the way to the common room without some help…so, let's go. I'll tell you the password once we get there, okay Evelyn?"

"Call me Evie; Evelyn is way too formal for me." Out of sheer habit she replied as she would to a new friend, not bothering to correct herself in his presence. He just nodded and slowly stood while offering his hand out to the young girl. She stared at it and once again shrugged, why not? Putting her hand into his he helped her up and smirked. As they walked down the hallway in silence, Evie noticed how ironic it was that Malfoy had sought her out and was being super nice. Was he on crack? Maybe he was just bipolar…well, whatever was happening she preferred it to the crappy person he normally was.


	8. What does this mean?

That night Evie had a rather odd dream, unlike that of which she had ever had before. She walked slowly down a hallway that was dimly lit and dripping into puddles on the floor. Dream her didn't seem to really pay attention as she walked faster and faster until she began sprinting then actually running in a sudden frenzy around corners and avoiding the water drops. Rounding another corner she suddenly froze at the sight before her. A shadowy back was to her, and only slightly turned towards her prone figure. She walked up behind the person and wrapped her arms around what she realized was a man in a sweet hug. He just lifted one of her hands and placed a loving kiss on her palm before turning painstakingly slow towards her. Even though Evie knew this was a dream, she was anxious to see who it was.

As fate would have it the dream began to shift and Evie was met with the sun shining down on a gorgeous meadow. Looking around her she noticed it was not only a meadow, but flowers were blooming everywhere and a curious house sat about a five minute walk away from where she stood. Standing she stood and placed her hands on her swollen belly…Wait a second! Swollen belly? Dream Evie seemed content with her belly as she walked, well slightly waddled towards the house. Walking inside a cozy warm living room greets her and she heads towards the stairs on the left side of the room. Moving slowly she finally reaches the top and walks into a room at the end of the hallway. Once again the shadowy back faces her, but this time he is leaned over a crib that sits in front of a window. The dream man hears Evie's footsteps and actually turns to smile widely at her before enveloping her in his arms. A loud crash was heard from downstairs and the couple turned to the door in shock. Fright overtook the unnamed man's face as he locked the door and ushered Evie towards another door in the room she didn't notice before. As he opened the hidden door the locked door burst open and dark figures burst into the room, wands raised. The man grabbed Evie and held her too him as she sobbed softly into his chest. Breathing in heavily she focused on his scent for the last moments they had together. The woodsy, masculine scent that only belonged to her love was a welcome comfort as a dark figure moved forward and pointed his wand at the couple. "Avada Kedar-"

Screaming, the real Evie shot up in her bed as the lamps magically turned on next to her. A girl in the bed next to her threw a pillow and told Evie in a very impolite way to shut up so she could "look beautiful for her Drakie in the morning." A grimace fell over the still shocked girls face as she tried to imagine Pansy looking remotely pretty. Looking out the window Evie saw the sun creeping over the forest and decided she might as well get ready for the day, and hopefully shake off her terrible dream. Grabbing her things she rushed into the bathroom and took a quick fifteen minute shower and decided to let her naturally wavy hair do its thing today, just straightening her bangs. Brushing her teeth and putting on her wardrobe took just a few minutes, so Evie decided to put on some makeup to kill time. Walking back into the dormitory she looked in her mirror just to giggle at how askew her septum was. Fixing it she grabbed her mascara and swiped it on then set the mascara down on her side table. Grabbing her bag she started her walk towards the Great Hall, lost in thought once more.

What did her dream mean? Well, obviously she was married and living with him, but then the real question is: who was that man? For some odd reason Evie felt as if she could still smell the woody smell, but that would be impossible. Her dream wasn't real, was it?

Being so lost in thought it was a miracle that Evie made it into the Great Hall without running into anyone or anything, with the exception of Peeves who was busy tormenting some innocent first year. Looking towards the Slytherin table she noticed the lack of people, and with her goal of distracting her thoughts of the terrible dream she began scoping out the entire room. Seeing Luna sitting alone while reading her magazine upside down, Evie walked over (to the dismay of the other Hufflepuffs) and sat in front of her friend. "Good morning Luna! What're you reading?" The dreamy-eyed girl looked up from her magazine to smile at the red head. "It's the Quibbler, my dad publishes it. It's quite interesting this issue. He's found new traces of the flobberworms stealing innocent witches' and wizards' shoes. Apparently they are attracted to the buckles that some people find appealing." Evie just smiled and nodded, actually interested in what she was saying. Luna kept talking for about thirty minutes with just a little bit of encouragement and input from Evie, who listened enraptured by the crazy stories. Finally remembering that she needed to eat before class and noticing that students were being handed their schedules, Evie unhappily said goodbye to the interesting girl who returned the farewell along with a small wave.

Heading back to the Slytherin table she saw Blaise and sat in the still empty seat beside him. He looked up with a piece of bacon hanging out of his mouth as he smiled. Evie crinkled her nose in mock disgust and just patted his head while looking down at her now full plate. Giggling at the magic she was still not used to, she picked up her toast and spread jelly on it before munching quickly on her breakfast. Grabbing her goblet she sipped the pumpkin juice which was becoming all too familiar to her taste buds. A body slammed into her as she was putting the goblet down, effectively dousing her in the juice. "Oh, I'm sorry…did I scare you Jordan?" Sneering down at the soaked girl was Pansy Parkinson and her giant of a friend. Standing to her full height of 4'11 Evie wasn't really intimidating, but luckily her mouth was quick. "You know, at least when I wake up I don't look like a pile of shit. And when I take my time getting ready I don't wind up looking like a pug that's been scarred for life. So instead of trying, and failing might I add, to make my life a living hell, why don't you invest that time in working on loosing the fat that is so attached to your ass and is clogging your ears. Now if you want to proceed to bother me I will make sure you wished you had never set eyes on me. Got it Parkinson? Now back off and leave me be." She emphasized her point by lightly shoving Pansy and glaring as the pudgy girl stumbled away and ran towards the other end of the table. Sighing she looked down at her now soaked uniform and wished it was dry. Sitting down, she almost failed to notice the shocked looks of both Blaise and Malfoy who had recently sat down across from her. Confusion crossed her face as a weird sensation overcame Evie. Looking down she noticed her uniform was now dry! She wheeled around and searched the Great Hall for the culprit, but no one was even remotely glancing her way anymore. Shrugging after a few minutes of looking she turned back to the two amused boys sitting around her. "What?"

"That was quite a show back there Eves." Blaise said with a broad smile and Malfoy agreed with a smirk. "Whatever you say mister Zambini." Laughing he threw his arm around her shoulder and proceeded the give her a dreaded noogie. "Blaise! Blaise stop it!" Giggling she slapped his hands away and just sipped from her now full goblet that sat before her. Evie sat back and looked over at Malfoy who was talking with Blaise about some guy topic. Ever since last night Malfoy had been decent to her. Sure, they weren't close enough to be on a first name basis, but they were better than before. Who knew one single fight could turn that around. Speaking of which, Evie turned around and looked across at the Gryffindor table and waved to her trio of friends. They all smiled widely and waved back before continuing whatever they were talking about before. Sighing she rested her head on her hand and watched as the owls soared into the hall and drop their mail to the recipients.

"Hey Jordan, here's your schedule by the way." Glancing towards the blonde she just nodded and took the slip of paper and read over it quickly. Blaise grabbed her schedule from her hands, and just as she was about to protest a letter landed on her empty plate. Shock etched its way onto her face as she watched the black hawk make a circle and fly right back out of the window. Picking up the letter she ripped the envelope open as her friends watched eagerly. Staring at the words on the page confusion flashed across her face as she dropped the letter on the table as she stood abruptly and looked around the Great Hall. Seeing no one looking like they sent it, fear finally settled on her face as she ran out of the hall and in search of the one person who might know the answer. Blaise and Malfoy looked confused before Blaise ran out of room after his friend. Malfoy, being the curious guy no one knew he was, picked up the letter and mouthed the words as he read.

**I found you, and you can't escape now.**

Draco's mind reeled as he tried to process his thoughts. The only one he could really focus on was the one that kept running through his mind; what does this mean?


	9. Play with my hair?

Running through the massive halls of the school, fear gripped Evie's heart. Who sent the letter? Why did they send it? Stopping before the statue that Harry had told her about on the train ride she sucked in a deep breath and froze. What was the password again? Stomping her foot down she all but groaned out loud. Luck seemed to be on her side however when a meek cough caught her attention.

"Hi Evie…need some help?" Whipping her head around she noticed the awkward form of Neville Longbottom standing there. "Oh hi Neville! Um, I don't know the password to see Professor Dumbledore. He wasn't at breakfast so I assumed he would be here." Smiling sheepishly at him, she almost forgot about the letter. He just smiled and walked up next to her while softly muttering the words "Lemon Drops." The statue swung around revealing the stairs causing Evie to grin and latch herself on the now blushing boy in a tight hug. "Thank you so much Neville!" Rushing up the stairs she heard his chuckle as she reached the top. Knocking on the door lightly the serious situation fell onto her shoulders once again. The door opened before her and she was momentarily stunned. Looking around the room in awe, Evie took notice of the vast array of things strewn around the room from the magnificent phoenix to the smallest crystal ball. Someone cleared their throat and she turned to meet the twinkling gaze of Professor Dumbledore.

"Young miss Jordan, I assume you left breakfast in such a rush to talk to me about something of the utmost importance? Breakfast is the key meal you do remember." Laughter filled his eyes as he looked down at the small girl and motioned towards the chair before his desk. Brushing the hair that had fallen into her eyes out of the way, she moved to sit quickly. "Professor, I received a strange letter this morning that truly upset me. I don't understand what it means. I mean, I understand what it physically says, but not why it says what it says. I don't know if it's a cruel joke, a real threat, or just a wrong letter. You know owls can get confused, it happens all the time. Why, on the train Ron Weasley was telling me about how one year his owl got so confused it wound up-"

"Miss Jordan, why don't you show me the letter?" "Oh of course!" Reaching to grab her bag she finally realized everything was still back in the Great Hall sitting under the Slytherin table. Looking up at him, he just nodded in understanding. "Well why don't you start with what the letter said then." Sighing she sat back in the chair and prepared for the worst. "I know it sounds silly, but all it said was 'I found you, and you can't escape now.' There was no signature, no hint of who sent it. The only significant thing is that it was delivered by a black hawk, but I don't know anyone who owns a bird like that! Actually, the only people I know who would own a bird to send letters go to this school and it obviously isn't theirs!" Stopping short at the expression of shock on Dumbledore's face, Evie waited for an explanation. "Miss Jordan, since there are no classes until tomorrow I think it would be best for you to return to the common room and remain there for the day. Perhaps you can begin reading the books for your classes since they are in your room still. If you must go anywhere please have someone accompany you to and from the common room. If you will excuse me, I need to go inquire of this letter. Your things will be brought to you, so hurry on to the dungeons now. I believe Mister Longbottom will escort you since he is still downstairs." Standing he gracefully ushered Evie downstairs and asked Neville to walk her back to Slytherin. After Neville nodded he turned on his heel and began walking quickly down the hallway towards the Great Hall.

"What happened in there Evie?" His questioning face reminded Evie of something she just couldn't put her finger on; like a bad case of déjà vu. "Dumbledore seems worried about that letter I got at breakfast…What do you think it could mean?" Confusion replaced the questioning look. "You received a letter? Who was it from, your evil mum or something?" Slight sadness filled her eyes as she shook her head. "My family died when I was young I think. I'm actually not too sure. But, the people who raised me were muggles. I have no idea who sent it." He just nodded and awkwardly patted her shoulders as they began the walk to the dungeons. Pursing her lips she began to play with the little ring in her nose, moving it back and forth. It was a habit she had developed whenever she was deep in thought or just bored. Neville noticed the silence and began talking to her about the school and his frog Trevor. "He sounds adorable! Can I see him Neville, pretty please?" "Sure!" He pulled the fat looking toad out of his pocket and proudly showed it to his excited companion. "Aw! I can see how he could get lost a lot though, he is kind of small." "Yeah, but it's fine really. Hermione helps me find him most of the time." "Well if you need more help, just find me and I'll be happy to look for him next time!" Smiling he just nodded slipping his pet back into the safety of his pocket.

"Ugh. It's so cold down here, how can you stand it Evie?" She just shrugged her shoulders and skipped forward a few feet. "I don't know really, I guess I'm just hot natured and the cold doesn't bother me. But I should go inside, Dumbledore asked me to stay in the common room today. Thank you for walking me down here Neville, you're a good friend." Hugging him tightly the two promised to hang out sometime before he said goodbye. Saying the password she walked into the cool dungeon and took in the emptiness of the room. Grinning she ran upstairs, changed into some comfy clothes, grabbed her books and ran downstairs. Plopping down on the couch nearest the fire she dumped her books on the coffee table and proceeded to curl up and read. Being so caught up in the book, Evie failed to notice the students slowly trickling back into the common room. Most just ignored her, some sneered, and others looked on with various looks on their faces. Blaise walked back in about an hour after her meeting with Dumbledore and rushed to the couch. "Eves!"

"AH!" Dropping her book she sat up startled until she noticed her friend laughing next to her. Picking up her book she whapped him upside the head with it. "Blaise! What were you thinking!?" "Ow! What was that for?!" She smiled at the fact he was rubbing the side of his head. "Because you scared me that's why! What's so wrong with a happy 'Hello' or 'Hi Evie, how're you? Oh! You're reading, well let me be polite and not scare the crap out of you!' Hmmm?" Blaise dropped the bag in his hands and fell onto the open seat next to her smiling widely. "Oh yeah! I grabbed your bag from the Great Hall. Snape told me to bring it to you and to 'keep you occupied' or something like that, so here I am!" Shaking her head she just smiled and readjusted herself so she could put her head in his lap. He just looked down at her with his eyebrow raised to which she stuck her tongue out. "Play with my hair, please? I'm bored." Looking at her like she had just sprouted five heads he finally agreed when her lip poked out in a pout. Malfoy walked into the common room about thirty minutes later, just after she had fallen asleep. Blaise looked pretty sleepy too and he just looked at them in annoyance and stalked up to his room. Why was she sleeping on _his_ lap? His best friend was a flirt, but was Jordan falling for it? Whatever, why did he care? Grabbing his broom he threw on a sweatshirt and walked back through the common room seeing that his friend was now asleep and began his walk to the Quidditch Pitch.


End file.
